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Obesity Threatens a Generation - 'Catastrophe' of Shorter Spans, Higher Health Costs
Washington Post ^ | May 17, 2008 | Susan Levine and Rob Stein

Posted on 05/18/2008 1:13:55 PM PDT by neverdem

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To: Tax-chick

Yes, I wondered about this genetic pass through in re: the more people with extreme food intolerances we see these days. When I was a kid we’d never heard of these peanut allergies. Now, understandably, we often can’t bring nut items into schools. The reactions are so severe.


41 posted on 05/19/2008 1:07:27 AM PDT by Marie2 (I used to be disgusted. . .now I try to be amused.)
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To: Marie2

I think another reason for the apparently higher incidence of food allergies is that people are exposed to a greater diversity of food items, and at earlier ages. Packaged foods contain dozens of ingredients that home-prepared foods would not. And we try more non-native foods, for which we don’t have a genetic tolerance. I’m allergic to Vietnamese fish sauce, which I probably would never have known a generation ago, because there weren’t many Vietnamese restaurants in the United States.


42 posted on 05/19/2008 4:46:32 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("If Global Warming did not exist, the left would have to invent it. In fact, they did." ~Don Feder)
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To: Tax-chick
You were a saint.

Now you are a Freeper, like me, but I anticipate that within a very few years other saints will be visiting me.

43 posted on 05/19/2008 11:04:35 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: CaspersGh0sts

The rate hasn’t budged off it’s mark 5 years after the change in the diagnostic standard.


44 posted on 05/19/2008 11:06:45 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

Spending time with old relatives is a privilege.


45 posted on 05/19/2008 11:19:00 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("If Global Warming did not exist, the left would have to invent it. In fact, they did." ~Don Feder)
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To: Tax-chick
Almost half the people in the world have some level of allergy to fish.

With or without the Vietnamese you would have eventually discovered it.

Bet you don't like A-1 or other Lee & Perrin either ~ full of fish sauce.

46 posted on 05/19/2008 11:35:58 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Tax-chick
Type II diabetes is linked in some fashion to about 30 different versions of 10 or so genes.

It's hereditary, and the full complexity has not yet been worked out.

Nope, it's not a "defect". Non Diabetics have the "defect". That's the genes that let you gobble down carbohydrates like you are some sort of rabbit.

Pre-agricultural humans had the same set of genes today's diabetics do. Populations which were long isolated from the agricultural world develop diabetes with the first can of potatoes.

Our natural state is as hunters and gatherers who subsist on a high fat, low carbohydrate diet, with extensive exercise chasing game every day.

47 posted on 05/19/2008 11:40:08 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: CaspersGh0sts
The American Diabetes Association continues to tell us there are acceptable "complex carbohydrates" and unacceptable "simple carbohydrates".

Since your digestive system starts breaking all carbs down in your mouth with saliva laced with enzymes, and it all happens INSTANTANEOUSLY, it's probably best you learn to ignore the ADA and pay attention to Kaiser-Permanente and the Australian medical association (which really got going on the "glycemic index" business).

The only thing that's increased is the number of people who've been diagnosed. The number of folks who have the magic combination of genes that gives you the propensity remains at about 15% of world population, just that a lot of them haven't yet been diagnosed.

Since all you have to do is eat like a hunter/gatherer of 14,000 years ago, there are some diabetics who will never develop the symptoms and will never be diagnosed.

48 posted on 05/19/2008 11:46:47 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

“Since your digestive system starts breaking all carbs down in your mouth with saliva laced with enzymes, and it all happens INSTANTANEOUSLY, it’s probably best you learn to ignore the ADA and pay attention to Kaiser-Permanente and the Australian medical association “

Tell you what. You leave a piece of bread sitting in a glass of saliva and get back to me when that thing is completely broken down into sugar water. Deal?


49 posted on 05/19/2008 6:17:03 PM PDT by CaspersGh0sts
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To: CaspersGh0sts
How about I just leave that piece of bread in a glass of alpha-amylase (extract of white kidney bean, a major ingredient in dough conditioner), and you will found a new industry called "breaking starch chains into smaller pieces with 2 or 3 glucose units".

Humans have their own version of this enzyme ~ it's found in saliva and pancreatic juice.

Where was it you thought starch began getting broken down?

50 posted on 05/19/2008 6:22:02 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: neverdem
The story is about the future, not current longevity.

That's my point. It's based on assumption rather than fact.
51 posted on 05/19/2008 7:52:57 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: Man50D
That's my point. It's based on assumption rather than fact.

No assumptions are involved. The increased morbidity and mortality due to obesity are well known, e.g. type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, degenerative joint disease, especially of weight bearing joints, etc. The prevalence of obesity is increasing. It's the only logical conclusion. Increased mortality means a decrease in longevity.

52 posted on 05/19/2008 8:34:10 PM PDT by neverdem (I'm praying for a Divine Intervention.)
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To: neverdem
No assumptions are involved.

Predictions are by no means facts. One can only speculate what will happen in the future.

The prevalence of obesity is increasing.

That maybe but that is based on information that has been gathered not on assumptions of what may occur.

It's the only logical conclusion. Increased mortality means a decrease in longevity.
Once again more speculation and is a direct contradiction with the increasing average life span that is now at an all time high of 77.6 years of age. As I stated in earlier posts, the obesity problem has been developing for a long time while the average life span has been increasing. Clearly obesity hasn't as big a factor during that time as people are being led to believe.
53 posted on 05/20/2008 3:29:19 AM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: muawiyah

“Where was it you thought starch began getting broken down?”

Of course that’s where food begins being broken down. But that’s not where the job is finished. Nor it is the most efficient part of the process.

It was you, however, that claimed that this was done instanteously. That’s not the case—at all.


54 posted on 05/20/2008 3:15:18 PM PDT by CaspersGh0sts
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To: CaspersGh0sts
Look, "complex" carbohydrates break down in the hands of the enzymes as rapidly as "simple" carbohydrates. There's really no difference and there's more than a sufficient number of enzyme particles to make sure it happens just as fast as you can stuff it in your mouth ~

The entire American Diebetic Association's thesis regarding the nature of carbohydrates was seriously and dangerously in error.

I'm really surprised anyone could cite them in this day and age.

You do know they sold out to agricultural interests regarding "whole grain" food ~ it was just like the last 10,000 years of agriculture breeding grains for higher and higher percentages of carbohydrates hadn't happened.

55 posted on 05/20/2008 6:21:36 PM PDT by muawiyah
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